Looking for flavor inspiration for the new year? Wondering what new flavors are trendy right now? We have your flavor trends forecast for 2022. We looked at what experts predict will be the flavor trends for 2022 and here’s what we found.
“Familiar with a Twist”
According to Monin’s flavor experts, consumers are looking for new flavors that aren’t completely unusual, aka familiar with a twist in the form of mashup or hybrid flavors that combine a known flavor or ingredient with the unknown. Think “sweet + heat, international flavors with a mainstay base, fruits and florals, tea lattes, coffee-tea blends, and more.” Monin declared passion fruit as the flavor of the year.
Gut & Digestive Health, Functional Foods
Consumers are still concerned about the pandemic, so they’re looking for better-for-you, immunity boosting foods. They’re interested in gut and digestive health, including probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics.
Comax Flavors, a manufacturer and supplier of flavor solutions for the beverage and nutrition markets, introduced the “Trust Your Gut collection” which includes Apple Cinnamon Oat, Lavender Cola and Peach Ginger flavors.
Monin also noted that consumers are interested in gut health and other functional ingredients.
Whole Foods’ Trends Council unveiled their top 10 anticipated food trends for 2022. They think consumers will be looking for functional benefits. The council predicted Japanese citrus fruit, yuzu, hibiscus, sunflower seeds, moringa, and turmeric will be big this year.
Comfort Foods & Permissible Indulgence
Mintel, the market research firm, coined the term permissible indulgence. Consumers are snacking more often and throughout the day. Snacking increased during the pandemic since consumers were spending more time at home. Frozen snacks have become more popular, with consumers seeking better-for-you options that don’t sacrifice flavor.
Comax Flavors also sees Americans sticking with comfort foods and baked goods. Their “Sweet Decadence” range includes Cannoli Donut, Salted Caramel Brownie Cupcake and Vanilla Bean Mochi.
Plant-Based Still Appeals
Whole Foods predicts consumers will seek to reduce the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs that they consume.
Automation, Streamlined Menus, Ghost Kitchens
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of robots and automation in restaurants, according to Square. Restaurants are offering digital ordering and touchless payment options. These technologies help with staff shortage as well as reducing the contact between restaurant employees and customers. Supply chain shortages caused chefs to streamline menus. These trends are expected to continue in 2022.
Restaurants have had to diversify and find new revenue streams, including selling groceries and retail and offering subscriptions. Not only is delivery here to stay, but delivery-only restaurants operating from ghost kitchens are estimated by Euromonitor to be a $1 trillion business by 2030.
We look forward to seeing all the new froyo flavors that come out this year!
